Cultural/Traditional Games: Ddakji (딱지)

Is there are any of you ADDICTED to ORIGAMI?? Why I said "Origami" and what does it RELATED to our TOPIC today??ㅋㅋ Well I'm NOT interested to make a GROUP for origami CLASS session here as I'm NOT good at it!ㅋㅋㅋ However the GAME that I wanna talk about here is RELATED to ORIGAMIㅋㅋ DDAKJI (딱지)is one of the MOST POPULAR games among KOREAN since LONG time ago. 

I try to LOOK for the FACT of when did it get STARTED but I FAILED to FIND it.ㅠㅠ I FOUND a FACT about it but it was NOT clearly STATED as well the author DIDN'T shows any EVIDENT to SUPPORT it..Despite of giving WRONG information here I guess the BEST I can do is NOT revealing about the FACT!ㅋㅋㅋ  As I'm LIVING in ASIAN country, I FOUND out that MOST Asian countries SHARED a bit SIMILAR games to ONE another!ㅋㅋㅋWhat a SURPRISED!ㅋㅋ I CAN'T believe it at first, but its TRUE! ㅋㅋ My CLOSE friend who LIVING at KOREA said they play the SAME games, what a SMALL world!ㅋㅋㅋ

For DDAKJI, I think at my country we DIDN'T play this game ㅠㅠ(During my childhood, I never saw anyone play this but I'm NOT sure late 1998 years on wards).ㅋㅋㅋ We have SIMILAR games but we use PEBBLES! However my KOREAN friends says they have that VERSION too!ㅋㅋ The BEST part is ONE of my GERMANY friend also said the SAME things!He DOES played well with my NEPHEWS when he COMING OVER!! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ok for ASIAN countries to SHARE it I think its COMMON isn't it?? But EUROPE?? 대박!(Daebak) INTERESTING!ㅋㅋㅋ Back to OUR topic, ddakji. DDAKJI can be PLAYED at ALMOST ANYWHERE whether INDOOR or OUTDOOR! The ONLY things that NEEDED when to play is DDAKJI itself. 

WHAT is DDAKJI?? Ddakji is a THICK FOLD PAPERS where it consist at LEAST 2 FOLD PAPERS. I know you guys seems CONFUSING right?? ㅋㅋ Well its kind of TOUGH to explain it to all of you!ㅋㅋ Ok why NOT see VIDEO below :P This video will SHOW you HOW TO MAKE DDAKJI! There are few WAYS to make ddakji but this is the SIMPLE one.ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

SIMPLE isn't it?? Didn't have COLORFUL PAPERS?? No WORRIES!ㅋㅋ For ddakji its UNNECESSARILY using colors papers!ㅋㅋㅋ You CAN use ANY papers even OLD NEWSPAPERS!ㅋㅋJust make SURE the SIZE and STEP is CORRECTㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ There are some other WAYS to make it, you can CHECK it out at youtube! ㅋㅋㅋ There are few MORE videos there. ㅋㅋㅋ WHATS NEXT?? HOW TO PLAY IT??O-o I guess some of you might watch RUNNING MAN a lot DIDN'T you?? ㅋㅋYes they have so many GAMES. Ok Im NOT going to explain what Running Man is all ABOUT here!ㅋㅋㅋ However for those who DIDN'T get a CHANCE to WATCH the episode of Ddakji University Challenger ORGANIZE by Running Man, you can WATCH it below. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

                      

p/s: INTERESTING games isn't it?? Make some DDAKJI yourself and START playing with your friends now! ㅋㅋㅋ This GAME can be play by ANY AGE.ㅋㅋ DON'T feel OLD enough to play it! Just like any other TRADITIONAL games, age DOESN'T matter :P  Wanna KNOW who WON the FINAL between the BATTLE of DDAKJI University Challenger organize by Running Man, watch RUNNING MAN episode 197!ㅋㅋㅋ

p/s: Still DON'T get it how to make DDAKJI even you WATCH the video??ㅋㅋㅋ Well REFER here then. ㅋㅋㅋ

Sources: http://littleseouls.blogspot.my/2011/08/how-to-make-your-own-ddakji.html

Video Credit: Jinjin Origami
                       Shazely Jr.

Photo Credit:pinterest.com

Throwback# Places: Daegu Downtown

Daegu is another VIBRANT metropolitan city in South Korea, located somewhere SOUTH EASTERN of Seoul. It took around 3 hours and 40 minutes from Seoul to Daegu. As a CAPITAL city for Gyeongsangbuk-do, this city hold over 2.5 million RESIDENTS with FAMOUS slogan "COLORFUL DAEGU".

Colorful Daegu NOT only famous for vivacious city, but it also known as "APPLE CITY". Im NOT talking about Apple firm ㅋㅋㅋ, don't get me wrongㅋㅋ, its completely DIFFERENT story.ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Daegu known as "Apple city" because of its HUMID subtropical climate,makes this city is ONE of the BEST producing high QUALITY apple area.

Apart from that, DAEGU also KNOWN as "TEXTILE city" as this INDUSTRY is used to be ONE of PILLAR sources for the CITY .During my 2013 trip to KOREA, I STOPPED by at Daegu while Im on my WAY back to SEOUL from Busan.

Actually I have NO idea what is so SPECIAL about DAEGU, ㅋㅋㅋ but I have a FRIEND there. ^^ Since I'm on my WAY to Seoul, why NOT I stopped by and meeting my FRIEND!^^I spend FEW hours in Daegu and STROLLING around Daegu. As we DON'T have a plenty of TIME to go around, she just bring me to DAEGU DOWNTOWN.ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Every CITY in Korea have DIFFERENT downtown area or STYLE according to its REGION. I've been to Gwangju Downtown, Busan Downtown and Gimhae Downtown but NOTHING beat Daegu Downtown! ㅋㅋㅋ ONE of street that I've been at Daegu downtown is Yangnyeongsi Market. This area is completely DIFFERENT from any OTHER downtown I've been to! Surrounding by HERBS and ORIENTAL medicine remind me of their history (I've seen some in their drama)!ㅋㅋㅋ

My friend also gave some explanation about those HERBS and the BENEFIT of oriental medicine. After a while we STOPPED by at Daegu Yangnyeongsi Museum of Oriental Medicine. This museum NOT only FAMOUS among KOREANS but its also an INTERNATIONAL HUB of oriental medicine to people in CHINA, RUSSIA and EUROPE for several CENTURIES!Whoaaa!

Reading about  HOW this MUSEUM been SET UP make me REALIZED another FACT of why they choose "COLORFUL DAEGU" as CITY SLOGAN,ㅋㅋㅋ this city NOT only FAMOUS as APPLE CITY, TEXTILE CITY but widely KNOWN since LONG time ago for FANCY stuff which is HERBS! (Some of herbs is FREAKING expensive!)ㅠㅠ

p/s: After I had KOREAN GINSENG drink, my BLOOD PRESSURE went back to NORMAL! ㅋㅋㅋ I'm struggling with LOW blood pressure for quite LONG TIME!ㅠㅠ Well I'm NOT sure if KOREAN GINSENG drink HEAL me or maybe because I ate too much SEAFOOD while I'm in KOREA?? @-@ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Sources: http://english.daegu.go.kr/cms/cms.asp? 
              Menu=97&Category=2&Action=view&TourId=206
              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daegu
              http://dgom.daegu.go.kr/eng/sub02/sub02_01.asp  

Life: Can Koreans survive WITHOUT smartphone??

These days it is COMMON to see people with their SMARTPHONE, sometimes not ONLY one but TWO smartphone per person!ㅋㅋㅋ Do you guys KNOW when smartphone era BEGINS?? Which COUNTRY start this PHENOMENA??O-o Smartphone STARTS early 1990 in The STATE but at that time they DIDN'T call it as smartphone, they call it as PDA PHONE.

Then when it EXACTLY starts??Anyone knows?? O-o FIRST smartphone that been RECOGNIZE world wide is somewhere around 1999, in JAPAN. These technology had been SPREAD OUT around the world and here WE ARE, LIVING in smartphone ERA!^^ It's START in Japan, so what is the RELATION of smartphone with KOREA?? O-o I think MOST of you heard SAMSUNG right?? Samsung is ONE of the BEST producing smartphone FIRM in the WORLD! Samsung also known as the MOST BIGGEST company in Korea, NO. 1 COMPANY!ㅋㅋㅋ

Back in KOREA, there is SAMSUNG CITY which is SUWON. Anyone knows SUNGKYUNKWAN UNIVERSITY?? Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) have been RELATED to SAMSUNG since 1996, and on 2006 they have established PARTNERS for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education. Their LIBRARY is FAMOUS for ONE of MOST ADVANCE library in Korea! I wish SOMEDAY I will get a CHANCE to visit there! ㅋㅋㅋ Next, anyone been to EVERLAND?? Do you know that EVERLAND theme park is actually POWERED by SAMSUNG too? ㅋㅋㅋ I've been there ONCE, nice theme park but I NEVER get a CHANCE to play as I'm SICK! ㅠㅠ Too bad..

 Back to our TOPIC, what LIFE would be if LIVING in KOREA WITHOUT a SMARTPHONE?Some says they can SURVIVE it but somehow I DOUBT that!ㅋㅋㅋ while I was in KOREA I saw MOST of KOREAN really DEPEND on their SMARTPHONE!ㅋㅋ Be it Samsung, I phone, LG or any other brand, their EYES constantly LOOKING at it!ㅋㅋ Do you think Korean knows DIRECTION fully?ㅋㅋNO, THEY NOT!! ㅋㅋㅋ MOST of THEM will SEEK DIRECTION via their smartphone!ㅋㅋㅋ If they WANNA try something NEW, most of them NORMALLY will look at REVIEW of RESTAURANT or CAFE via their SMARTPHONE first BEFORE trying!ㅋㅋㅋ Apart from that, they normally LOOKING at their smartphone for KNOWING their SUBWAY ROUTES, STATION, TIMING and etc!ㅋㅋ DO YOU THINK THEY REALLY CAN SURVIVE WITHOUT SMARTPHONE?? Let me know your OPINION regarding this ISSUE?^^

p/s: I am LIVING in MALAYSIA, I've EXPERIENCED few DAYS WITHOUT my SMARTPHONE as its NOT working! ㅠㅠ Well I did SUFFER because of it,ㅋㅋ but after FEW DAYS I think I can MANAGE it :P However if I LIVE in KOREA and my SMARTPHONE NOT working, I guess it might DRIVE ME CRAZY!ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

p/s: Don't be so SURPRISED if you see a 할머니 (Halmeoni) or 할아버지(harabeoji) looking at THEIR SMARTPHONE in KOREA! They are OLD but many of THEM are very SMART, HIGH EDUCATED with ADVANCED technologies, perhaps they are BETTER than YOU!!ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone
             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sungkyunkwan_University
             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung

Photo  Credit: o2.co.uk

Life: Do you think KOREANS are HONEST???

Living in metropolitan city like SEOUL can be a very NICE experience, yet it also can be a very COMPLEX experience too! From ONE area to another area is quite FAR but doesn't mean it is DIFFICULT for you to MINGLE around much. ㅋㅋ MODERN city with almost EVERYTHING there is EASY to be explored by anyone who love NEW challenge!^^ You can read my few ENTRIES about how EASY to go around in Seoul either via subway or bus.

However today I'm NOT going to talk about how EASE for you to go around Seoul. Instead how SAFE you are there as well why WORRYING about LOSING something while you there??? Which can NEVER be an ISSUE for you!ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ When my friends and I was in KOREA on 2012, we once stay at guesthouse somewhere around Incheon. The LAST day we were in Korea, we were so SURPRISED seen how our guesthouse owner sent us to airport WITHOUT lock his house! Not only NOT locking his house he's NOT even CLOSE the MAIN door!!? We were like this O-o!!! Did he FORGOT??O-o Then we ASKED him did he FORGOT to LOCK his PROPERTY?? His ANSWER is simple "Don't WORRY, NO ones will INTRUDE house here." How LUCKY they are!!ㅋㅋㅋ

How I WISH this kind of MENTALITY can be APPLIED at my HOME COUNTRY!ㅋㅋㅋ Where we DON'T have to WORRY leaving our PRECIOUS stuff as NO ONE will take it! I NEVER say it WON'T happen but due to our SOCIETY PERCEPTION, it is most likely will NEVER happen!ㅋㅋㅋ Most of the times we HEARD that if you SLIPPED your wallet or mobile phone on the STREET, it would be IMPOSSIBLE to get it back isn't it?? However in KOREA, its DIFFERENT! The PERCENTAGE of getting BACK your wallet, mobile phone or any PRECIOUS stuff that slipping is VERY HIGH!! You might think am I JOKING or PULLING your leg isn't it?? These two VIDEOS will MAKE you @-@! Check it out ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

                     

p/s: Do you TRUST me now??ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Those videos NOT simply been PRODUCED to SHOW OFF  but its to show how HONESTY KOREAN ARE, most of them will NEVER take something that NOT belong to them. How I WISH we can APPLY this ANYWHERE we are?? Lets CHANGE and make the WORLD a BETTER PLACE. ㅋㅋㅋ Its STARTS with YOU! YES YOU! who read and watch those videos! ^^ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Video Credit: Punjabiitotay90
                       Korea Junkies

Photo Credit: recoverywithrenaissance.com